The brand recently launched a new platform with new product packaging and the NCAA Tournament was the ideal media moment to get in front of their primarily male audience and drive brand awareness.

“March is the time where everyone’s attention is on college basketball,” Oliver Perez, chief marketing officer at Duke Cannon. “The idea was, who’s the hardest working member of a basketball team? It’s actually the mascot. We couldn’t think of a more fitting representation of our brand – someone that puts in the hard work and isn’t doing it for glory and recognition. They’re doing it because they love what they do. They love their work. What a fun way of celebrating that kind of guy.”

While mascots get a lot of attention on the court, their identity is completely anonymous. Duke Cannon wanted to take advantage of the popularity around name, image or likeness deals and flip the script and drive attention to their challenger brand. This approach allowed the brand to get “attention in a crowded category,” said Perez. “We wanted to just get out there with a strong point of view, which is all about celebrating like the hardworking guys that are out there getting stuff done.”

Perez is speaking at Brand Innovators Culture & Entertainment Summit at the NCAA Final Four on April 4th.

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The NFL season is a busy time for State Farm, a brand known for tapping into the sports culture with humorous ads and activations featuring Jake from State Farm.

“State Farm is always moving at the pace of culture, to stand out in a crowded marketplace,” said Kristyn Cook, chief marketing, sales and agency officer at State Farm, in a statement shared with Brand Innovators. “Our marketing campaigns tell stories and create memorable experiences for fans. This upcoming football season will focus on bundling – like football and fútbol! Fans will see our broader marketing approach and football strategy come to life through new creative this season, including the spot launching this week, ‘Bundle is Life.’”

Last year, when brands were vying to be a part of the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce boost, State Farm went for the unexpected. The company brought Jake to meet up with Travis’s brother and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, and their mother, Donna Kelce.

In 2023, when the Super Bowl was at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, the insurance company encouraged fans to participate in an interactive challenge, guessing how many times “State Farm Stadium” was mentioned during the game’s broadcast.

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